Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Homeschool Classes

children visiting the museum for a homeschool class

Explore the natural world in Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s homeschool classes. Students ages 5-18 from the local homeschool community can attend sessions designed to complement homeschool science curriculums and make homeschooling more convenient, interactive, and engaging for your family.

Register for classes below, or contact Program Registration at 412.622.3288 or ProgramRegistration@carnegiemuseums.org with questions.

2018 Homeschool Classes

Wonders of Water

Ages 5-7
Meets 1-3:30 p.m. every Monday in October
Meets at Portal Entry

Discover the fascinating and strange world of water.  Explore the role water plays in the lives of people from different cultures. Create a boat worthy of the Nile, and see how water moves through Pittsburgh.  Make your own cloud as we investigate the water cycle.  Make it snow, and learn how water crystallizes.  Visit Reptiles: The Beautiful and the Deadly, on temporary exhibit in Simmons Gallery, and meet reptilian ambassadors as you uncover the impact of water in the natural world.

Tropical Trek

Ages 8-10
Meets 1-3:30 p.m. every Monday in October
Meets at Portal Entry

Trek through the museum to investigate tropical ecosystems and the abundance of life within them.  Learn about unique frogs of the amazon rainforest, and find out what it is like to travel to remote locations on scientific expeditions.  Meet live birds, and use microscopes and chemistry to experiment with feather colors and patterns.  Examine how Pennsylvania’s climate changed over millions of years using fossil evidence to piece together ancient tropical ecosystems.  Learn about conservation efforts and what you can do to help preserve the rainforest.

Culinary Chemistry and Culture

Ages 11-13
Meets 1-3:30 p.m. every Monday in October
Meets at Portal Entry

Turn playing with food into serious science. Examine the chemical structures of sugars and starches, and test variations across global cuisines. Mix up tasty solutions and suspensions as you learn about the chemistry of ice cream. Experiment with gases to make bread and root beer. Learn how the Hopi and Iroquois advanced agriculture, and make a three sisters salad from corn, beans, and squash.

Chemistry I: Intro to Chemistry

Ages 14-18
Meets 1-3:30 p.m. every Monday in October
Meets at Portal Entry

This fall, explore the foundational principles of chemistry in the first of this year’s three-part chemistry series. Transform scientific knowledge into practice as you gain experience in elemental chemistry, the periodic table, and the International System of Units. Prove that atoms exist, and dig into atomic and molecular structure. Conduct a hydrolysis experiment to verify the chemical composition of water. Delve into the practical application of oxidation-reduction reactions as you demonstrate the principles of electronegativity, ionization, and electron transfer.

Enrollment in all three sections is not required, but students who complete all three parts of the series will receive a certificate of achievement.

Refund Policy

For multi-session classes, full refund less $10 handling fee for withdrawals made at least one week before program begins. Withdrawals made less than one week before the program starts, but before the second class session, are subject to a fee of $10 plus the pro-rated cost of a single class. No refunds after the second class has met.

Inclement Weather Policy

For children’s programs scheduled to occur December through March, the following inclement weather policy will be used: Should hazardous conditions result in cancellation of classes, announcements will be made on television stations KDKA, WTAE, WPXI, and FOX. Decisions are based on the needs of all students and instructors, some of whom drive considerable distances to Oakland. Makeup days may be scheduled for missed classes. During any inclement weather, please use your own discretion to attend for your own safety and that of your student.